diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
@@ -249,7 +249,6 @@
 	const char *matchgroup;		/* Group name to match */
 	const char *nogroup;		/* Group name to exclude */
 	const struct afswtch *afp;	/* AF we're operating on */
-	const char *jail_name;	/* Jail name or jail id specified */
 };
 
 struct option {
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8 b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 .\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 .\" SUCH DAMAGE.
 .\"
-.Dd August 10, 2025
+.Dd September 12, 2025
 .Dt IFCONFIG 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 .Nd configure network interface parameters
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Op Fl DkLmn
 .Op Fl f Ar type Ns Cm \&: Ns Ar format
 .Ar interface
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@
 .Oc
 .Op Ar parameters
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Ar interface
 .Cm destroy
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Fl a
 .Op Fl dDkLmuv
 .Op Fl f Ar type Ns Cm \&: Ns Ar format
@@ -64,16 +64,16 @@
 .Nm
 .Fl C
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Fl g Ar groupname
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Fl l
 .Op Fl du
 .Op Fl g Ar groupname
 .Op Ar address_family
 .Nm
-.Op Fl j Ar jail
+.Op Fl j Ar jid
 .Op Fl dkLmuv
 .Op Fl f Ar type Ns Cm \&: Ns Ar format
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
@@ -257,22 +257,22 @@
 to
 .Cm all
 selects all interfaces.
-.It Fl j Ar jail
-Perform the actions inside the
-.Ar jail .
+.It Fl j Ar jid
+Perform the actions inside the jail specified by
+.Ar jid ,
+which may be either a jail name or a numeric jail ID.
 .Pp
 The
-.Cm ifconfig
-will first attach to the
-.Ar jail
-(by jail id or jail name) before performing the effects.
-.Pp
-This allow network interfaces of
-.Ar jail
-to be configured even if the
-.Cm ifconfig
-binary is not available in
-.Ar jail .
+.Nm
+utility will attach to the specified jail immediately upon
+encountering the option on the command line.
+The option may be specified multiple times to attach to a nested jail
+(jail within a jail).
+.Pp
+This makes it possible to configure network interfaces within a vnet
+jail even if the
+.Nm
+binary is not available inside the jail.
 .It Fl k
 Print keying information for the
 .Ar interface ,
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
@@ -463,6 +463,9 @@
 {
 	char options[1024];
 	struct option *p;
+#ifdef JAIL
+	int jid;
+#endif
 	int c;
 
 	/* Parse leading line options */
@@ -494,7 +497,11 @@
 #ifdef JAIL
 			if (optarg == NULL)
 				usage();
-			args->jail_name = optarg;
+			jid = jail_getid(optarg);
+			if (jid == -1)
+				Perror("jail not found");
+			if (jail_attach(jid) != 0)
+				Perror("cannot attach to jail");
 #else
 			Perror("not built with jail support");
 #endif
@@ -611,9 +618,6 @@
 {
 	char *envformat;
 	int flags;
-#ifdef JAIL
-	int jid;
-#endif
 	struct ifconfig_args _args = {};
 	struct ifconfig_args *args = &_args;
 
@@ -638,16 +642,6 @@
 
 	args_parse(args, ac, av);
 
-#ifdef JAIL
-	if (args->jail_name) {
-		jid = jail_getid(args->jail_name);
-		if (jid == -1)
-			Perror("jail not found");
-		if (jail_attach(jid) != 0)
-			Perror("cannot attach to jail");
-	}
-#endif
-
 	if (!args->all && !args->namesonly) {
 		/* not listing, need an argument */
 		args->ifname = args_pop(args);